


They have a history

by Sunyiu2



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Drinking to Cope, Eventual Happy Ending, Heartbreak, M/M, Mycroft is a good friend, Post-Betrayal, Sherlock is a Good Friend too, i hope so, lots of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-02-25 18:47:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2632424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunyiu2/pseuds/Sunyiu2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Greg Lestrade and John Watson have a history. Not a happy one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's a WIP, I don't know how will it ends, but my intention is to write a happy ending... so  
> This is my first attempt for a Johnstrade. I really have no issue with John, just… in this he is a bit not good person, for now. I want to change it, but it seems much more difficult then I thought originally...
> 
> Unbeta'd  
> Every comment and kudos is welcomed!

 

“Sherlock?”

“He is out.”

“Right. Can I talk to you Jo.. Dr. Watson. Please?”

“Its John, Greg, I know you didn’t forget that.”

“No I’m not, but I… I didn’t know I could call you that now. That you and Sherlock and…”

“We are just flatmates, Greg.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“So what are you want to talk about?”

“I… I just wanted to ask you that how are you?” he stood still in a door way but was fidgeting with his hands

“Really?”

“Yeah, you had a limp at the house and I worried but you don’t have it now, so I think I… I am going now. I’m sorry to disturb you John. I… I just. Right, yeah sorry.” turned to the door but didn’t want to leave, not really

“Sit down, Greg.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry. You didn’t do anything.” John watched as the DI sat down carefully to the sofa

“Sorry, oh yeah fine I’ll stop.”

“Good. Tea?”

“Yeah thanks.” Greg sat still on the sofa while clenching and unclenching his hands repeatedly

“Here you are.” John handed a mug to Lestrade a few minutes later

“You remember how I drink it?”

“Of course I am.”

“Right so…”

“Greg”

“Oh”

“Why are you so nervous? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I… I just I’m glad to see you that’s it.”

“Why? “

“Because” Greg knew if he wouldn’t be honest with everything now and say what he have to, he couldn’t say it in the future at all. It was a now and never situation and he was glad that Sherlock went out “the last thing I know about you, that your unit was command to go Afghanistan. And that’s it; and the next thing was that you limp to my crime scene with Sherlock and giggle after you shot the cabbie, yeah I know that was you. I though that you… in Afghanistan... you.” He choked a bit took a deep breath and continued “I didn’t remember the half of what Sherlock said I just… You were there safe and alive with the limp and praised Sherlock and…”

“Greg calm down please.”

“Sorry”

“Oh for fuck sake”

“Can’t help it. Apparently.”

“Yeah I noticed. Tell me what happened to you, you changed.”

“I have a daughter.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. After you sent the ring back I was so angry. I understood that you have to do something after your dad died, to feel useful and I accepted that the something is had to be the army. And I know I would wait for you; it looked easy, wait for my love whom I exchanged a ring with. I know I could do that. But you sent it back and I didn’t know what to do. I was angry, and I couldn’t calm down. I was suspended, because I broke a suspect’s nose about a half a year later or so; I was lucky my DI didn’t fired me. I went to the bar with every intension to drink myself into oblivion and got trashed for at least two days. I slept with someone, it turned out I knocked her up. Her father was ah… a bit not good guy, as you’d put it. So I have to marry her if I wanted my balls in their place. We didn’t love each other. But I love Jenny she’s ten now. After my father-in-law died we divorced. That was three years ago.”

“But you still wear her ring.”

“Ah, I… no, it not her ring.”

“Oh”

“I immediately rid of that. We went to a jewellery shop and sold them, then went out for a celebratory dinner to a picnic in the park that Jenny loves. I… I was without it for a week or so when I missed it, well not that one. So I put it out of my ah… I began to wear it again.”

“You missed me…”

“Of course I do.”

“Do?”

“No… I… I am… oh fuck. Sorry I just. I thing it would be the best if I just shut up and leave. I can’t. Good bye John”

“No Greg wait please. I… I sorry. I sorry to…”

“John we have a case.” Sherlock barged in to the room. Lestrade closed his eyes and breath out slowly “Oh Lestrade what are you doing here?”

“Nothing I am going. Good bye John. Sherlock”

“What is wrong with him? I didn’t saw him that heartbroken since he started wear his not-wedding-wedding-ring.”

“What?”

“He divorced and a week or so he was happier then ever, but after he took on his not-wedding-wedding-ring and he was just sad all the time. With time it was better, he was better and now he seems happy; but the moment ago he was the saddest I ever know. He is worse than that. What did you tell him, John?”

“What?”

“He was fine, not happy, but a big steady step away from depression. You told him something he is moving fast-forward to the cliff now. What. Did. You. Tell. Him?”

“I didn’t say anything to him really.”

“Yeah? I’m calling Mycroft.”

“Mycroft?”

“Yeah, they have ah… they are friends, best friend or something.” he was looking John with narrow eyes while was waiting for his brother to pick up “Yes Mycroft. Ah Lestrade approaching the cliff... No I don’t know he was there talk with John and… What?... That was John?... Yes alright find him. I bring John to you… Alright I’ll tell him… All of it?.., Right.”

“What?”

“Mycroft met Lestrade because his bodyguards beat him up. Lestrade and my brother’s two guards were at the same bar, he picked them because they were muscular. I saw the footage he just stepped up to them and punched one of them, he caught them off-guard with a few movements he was on the floor. They thought he want something from Mycroft, so they took him in an interrogate room. When he collapsed there they transferred him to a secure hospital.”

“Jesus”

“When he woke up two days later…”

“Two days?”

“Yes, he was sleep deprived and didn’t eat enough for months and was really drunk. It turned out he took his vacation out of work, well suspended. He had a month and he was just in the second week that time. I think if he didn’t choose Mycroft’s guards he would die in the end of the month.”

“Oh God!”

“They became friends; that’s how I met Lestrade. He impregnated that woman with a brutal abusing father, but it helped him well Jenny helped him. He didn’t drink a sip since she born.”

“Did you think…?”

“Hurry up we going to Mycroft’s.”

 

When they arrived the house was empty. John was pacing in the living room until Sherlock showed him to the kitchen, where he could occupy his mind. During their second cup the door flung open.

“You know My, I really love your new giant rabbit thing in your garden, but why is it following us?”

“It is not.”

“And why is it purple and you had to do something the parrot in your car it looked ssspicious to me ‘spessly when he whispered with the burglr giant bunny. He got a cricket bat the parrot not the bunny so look out.”

“Alright. I will.”

“The bunny has a katatana, she’s more d’nger’s then the parrrrot. She’s a ninja burglr bunny. You better to be aware of her ulterior motive. I wouldn’t trust her if I were you… Didn’t want you to hurt.”

“Understood”

“Good. Hey Sherlock”

“What happened to him?”

“Pills and whiskey, but we had rather interesting conversation topics.”

“I see.”

“You know Sh’lock the bottoms in your shirts screeeeeeaming to hold it together. They clinging their holes tightly not to give up. You shhhuuud have be nicer to them, wear one size bigger shirts, your bottoms will looooooooove you for it.”

“Yes, interesting indeed.”

“Well he _has_ a point brother mine.”

“What pills?”

“Painkillers. He twisted his shoulder a week ago. Nothing serious, just painful.”

“Right took him bed he will fine in the morning.”

“No he will be just sober Doctor Watson. He is not fine for eleven years, just coping well.” Answered Mycroft in icy voice even Sherlock flinched a bit

“Hey My, don’t be so mean to John he is lovely.”

“No, he is not and you are going to bed. Come on up the stair to your room.” replied Mycroft as he helped Greg up in the stairs

“Greg has a room?”

“Yes he slept here a lot while he was married. His slept here while his wife and his boyfriend slept in the house.”

“That’s awful.”

“Not really. They just married because of Jenny the house were a wedding gift from the wife’s father fully furnishing and everything. They hated it.”

“They didn’t love each other?”

“No, they are friends and good parents. They sold the house split the money it was a really quick divorce and peaceful.”

“Why are you telling me these things? You rarely talk something else that is not a case.”

“Because, you have to know what you had done to Gregory, Doctor Watson.”

“Yeah? What did you know about it?”

“Enough. I was his best man in his wedding, the wedding that nobody wanted just a bride’s father. I was the one, who calmed him down when he waked up from nightmares screaming your name because you died in his dreams. I sat next to his hospital bed four times when he begged you not to leave him in his morphine fog state. You destroyed him. A strong man buried himself under the shredded remains of himself. He is there somewhere deep, I saw it a few times, but you almost killed his personality if not Gregory himself.”

“I didn’t know. I… I just had to do something useful.”

“Yes because a surgeon isn’t useful. You helped people in daily basis, but you run off instead to face with your demons with his help. He could helped you.”

“I sorry I didn’t know what to do. I… he…”

“You have to fix it, you will fix it Doctor Watson; I don’t think he could work with you again. I already found a transfer request in his coat pocket.”

“Transfer to where?”

“Ah he wrote I quote ‘doesn’t bloody matter, farther the better’. You are staying here, Sherlock show him a room. You will fix it Doctor Watson, I don’t care how but you will.” he didn’t have to say what would happen if he not.

 

**\---**

 

John has a sleepless night. The things that he heard from the Holmes brothers echoed in his head. He had to fix it…

He seen him once at the street; Lestrade was in a hurry and talk in the phone, he open his mouth to call after him when he saw the ring. There, on the street the realisation hit him. Hard. He lost Gregory Lestrade because he was selfish and stupid. He lost his love of his life because he was a coward. He realised he would never saw him again. So when he saw Lestrade in Baker Street at the first time he was glad he already sat, he sank further in the armchair and wish he was somewhere else. Greg just looked at him but didn’t saw him, he was mentally elsewhere already, probably in the crime scene to John’s luck. Around three or four in the morning he finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter and it will be the last one for a time being. The exams are coming and I won't have a time to find a way for John to fix this. In late December or early in the Next Year I will continue this but until then I'm sorry for I've lay it aside where we are. 
> 
> If the muse didn't hit me with their crowbar in the head, of course ;)

 

Next morning Greg wake up with a headache; he didn’t drink a single drop for ten years and yesterday he tried to make up for the first year, at least. He looked around and realised he was at Mycroft’s. Not a good sign that. Mycroft would be disappointed, but he had a right to drink, of course he had, as John looked through at him, again; just as in the crime scene. He just didn’t care for Greg anymore.

He was listening a bit and when he heard nothing, he went to emptied one of Mycroft’s whiskey bottles. He took a big sip from the bottle, while he fought against his tears that threatening to fall again.

“It is not quite efficient as you think Gregory.”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because John is here.”

“What?”

“Sherlock brought him here yesterday.”

“Why?”

 “To talk to you. I think you have to hear him out.”

“Yeah? You think?” he took another large sip “I went to him and he look through at me. He just… No, I’m leaving. Thank for the night, but I couldn’t stay and meet him. I have a transfer coming; I’ll text you where I’ll be going but I’m leaving now.”

“Gregory, please stay.”

“No I couldn’t. He... just... I... why are you doing this Mycroft? What that you… and John here… why?”

“I... You are my best friend Greg, I saw John in the evening when I escorted you here... I think he finally realised what he lost.”

“Yeah? Pity, he is a decade late for that. And he hadn’t lost me, he gave up on me, there is a difference.”

“Why? You still love him.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t care, Mycroft. You had to saw him yesterday. He just... bloody hell, Mycroft, what have I done to deserve that? He... he was my everything. Then yesterday he just… he don’t care. He just looked at me and nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“His face, his eyes… It used to soften when he sees me. I used to know that he love me and care about me, he just looked at me and you can saw it in his face. It had… it had meant everything to me. And yesterday I looked at the same face and I saw nothing. He looked at me like a stranger and when Sherlock walked in his face began to changed, to soften and I had to run off because I couldn’t stand there and wait to see that. He looked at him the same way that he used to looking at me. I just can’t… I lost him once and I thought I lost him forever in the Middle East and I couldn’t. I just....” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Mycroft knew very well not to interrupt “Yes I still love him, probably will forever, but I can’t watch that he and Sherlock… He is... was the love of my life and I am a coward but I couldn’t watch it I just... I’m glad he is alive and safe back here now, but he found someone and I respect that. And I really am sorry that’s meant I move to whobloodyknowswhere and we won’t meet every week, but I have to do this.”

“You are mistaken Gregory.”

“I bloody don’t care Mycroft. I’ll take a holiday off and speak to Dimmock and Gregson about your brother.”

“I didn’t mean that.”  
“I repeat I bloody don’t care. You are my friend, my best friend and Sherlock is my friend too. But I... I have done with London.”

 

After Lestrade shut the door as he left Mycroft stood in his foyer staring after him.

“Mycroft?”

“Yes, Sherlock?”

“Is he... is he gone?”

“Yes I think it was beyond fixable at this point. Doctor Watson finished what he started twelve years ago. He broke him permanently.”

“But...”

“Did you hear anything?”

“Just the last few minutes.”

“Well than, you had his blessing with your flatmate.”

“But I don’t…”

“I know but Gregory doesn’t. And Doctor Watson did a good job praise you at the crime scene as I’ve been told.”

“Yeah his filter didn’t work too well. Obviously.”

“Well...”

“Is there anything that we can do?”

“No, it is just... if Doctor Watson really meant that he wants to fix things with Gregory then we can only hope that he could.”

“How?”

“You heard Gregory he still loves Doctor Watson. The why is beyond me but he is. If John still loves him as well and will work hard to prove it, I think, _maybe_ , there is a tiny possibility that… maybe they could work it out eventually.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is hope for them

“Boss there’s a message for you.” Greg was packing his things up in later that morning for the transfer; completely unaware of the fact that Mycroft erased his request from the system so he got three week holiday ahead of him instead.

“Yeah? What?”

“It says that Blair is escaped from his leave.” she looked at the note

“What?”

“They told me that he was granted a leave for his son’s funeral with armed guards. He somehow escaped… Greg” but Greg didn’t stop he was running out of his office mobile already at his ear calling Sherlock

“Good Sherlock, where is John? Is he with you?”

“Yes he is”

“You have to go back to Mycroft’s and don’t bloody leave him for a moment.”

“But”

“Just bloody do it!” he hung up and dialled the other Holmes

“Mycroft, Blair is escaped I sent Sherlock and John back to your house. Please make sure they are safe.”

“Blair as…”

“Yeah Butcher Blair. My testimony send him to prison for a life time.”

“How did he escape?”

“He was granted with a leave for his son’s funeral apparently. He escaped. I didn’t know more detail. But…” he hurried down to the car park in the staircase

“Why is Sherlock in danger? You didn’t know him… Oh it is John.”

“Yeah when the verdict was made Blair… I still have nightmares of it. He turned to me calmly and in a deadly serious tone he promised me that when he’ll get a chance he will cut my ‘little cute doctor’ in pieces and… I have to be sure he is safe Mycroft.” he reached the car park and strode to his car

“He is on his way back to mine. I see the live footage they are in a cab.” There was a load bang from the other side of a line then nothing “Greg?” a crash as the phone was smashed to pieces “Greg? Anthea dear alert Donovan about the Detective Inspector and told her to hurry. We are leaving in two minutes.”

 

But Sally didn’t need to alert, she was in the car park when Blair knock Lestrade out and stabled him. She tackled him down instantly and cuffed him while two PC run toward them. The ambulance arrived and Lestrade was in the surgery fifteen minute later.

Of course Donovan went after his boss, she heard about Blair, they all did. The case that took DS Lestrade a big step closer to made a DI. Butcher Blair killed twenty-one people before Lestrade found the link. They tracked him down and two days later he was in the cell at the Met. Five separate crime scene well massacres really, twenty-one victims, three and a half months dread in London and one serial killer.

 

 

Few hours later Greg was out of the surgery. Mycroft had to leave for a meeting with the Prime Minister which couldn’t be postpone, so John sat in Lestrade’s bedside and listen his morphine fog state’s mumblings. “Don’t leave me John…  please. I’ll do anything. Please don’t. I love you John. I’ll wait.”

 

Greg was asleep when John left for a coffee as Mycroft arrive; the morphine was lowered and his hallucinations stopped but the nightmares started. Greg suddenly jolted awake panting.

“It alright Gregory, calm down.”

“Where’s John, is he safe? Is he?”

“Yes he is safe.”

“Oh good. That’s good. I saw…the blood was too much.”

“It was a desert again?”

“Yeah at first” Greg sat up in the bed and hugged his legs to his chest and flinched at the pain in his side

“Blair stabbed you. You are fine. You got a bit of morphine, two days and you will be at home.”

“Right…”

“The desert?”

“He got shot as usual but this time… this time he didn’t bleed out in the middle of a fucking nowhere... this time he got shot, then Blair was at his side and… his arm… with the knife… he cut it off Mycroft… He got him. I couldn’t save him… I… I couldn’t… he died… I...”

“He is safe Gregory. Blair went after you. John is officially living in a military building. So he went after you. You were the easiest target.”

“I have dreams about Blair as he threatened John. I can hear his voice in my head ‘I’ll send your little cute doctor back to you in pieces.’ He really is safe right? Sherlock would take care of him? Right? He will, won’t he?”

“Oh for God’s sake Gregory, Sherlock doesn’t interested in him. He finds John fascinating but not romantically. He’s seeing some sort of puzzle in him. And John still loves you. I saw it yesterday.”

“He didn’t care Mycroft. He just looked through of me. He just…” he curled up on himself facing away from Mycroft. “I think you were right after all. Caring really isn’t an advantage.”

“Go back to sleep Gregory. John is safe and Blair is in his cell. Donovan caught him after he stabbed you.”

 

 

“Can I come in Mycroft?”

“He’s sleeping” he is not but Greg have to hear what John would answer Mycroft questions “but if he wake up and want you to leave, you will do it immediately John.”

“Of course. The nightmares are gone as well?”

“For now; he is the worst when the morphine level is high.”

“I was here when he... when the...” he trailed of

“The hallucinations the worst part John. He hates them. Did he beg you not to leave him?”

“Yes he did, among other things… Mycroft, I didn’t know that after the... that he... What have I done? I just thought if I send a ring back to him he could move on. I never wanted to hurt him. Never.”

“But you did.”

“I know. I loved him. I still do but I thought it would be easier without the waiting.”

“He would have waited for you.”

“I know and that what I hadn’t want. I love him enough to let him go.”

“But he doesn’t want to.”

“Yeah? Then why he’s transfer to… to fuck-o-town?”

“Because he thinks that you and Sherlock... That you are interested in him.”

“As a friend, yes. He is extraordinary and rude and a dickhead but... he is not Greg.”

“No he’s not.”

“I saw him once when I arrived back. He was on his phone and… I wanted to talk to him but then I saw a ring on his finger. I wanted to ask if he could forgive me. That we could have a coffee or something? That I could do something? I was selfish and coward when I left I realised that there in the street.  I still love him I wanted to talk to him then I saw the ring. That was when I realised I lost him.”

“Do you really love him? Still love him I mean?”

“Yeah… I… yes I do. I realised when I saw him at the street that I was foolish enough to let the love of my life go. That I gave up on him, on us.”

“Will you fight for him?”

“He doesn’t want me.”

“Why are you thinking that?”

“He is better without me. I hurt him a lot.”

“Do you really think he is better without you? Did you even hear what we told you in the last two days? He was miserable without you John.”

“I hurt him. I don’t want hurt him again.”

“Then don’t leave him. You two still love each other. Make it work.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Talk to each other. And be honest.”

“I can do that.”

“Finally. Now I have to take care of a few things I’ll be back in the evening. Talk to each other and Greg stop pretend you are sleeping.”

 

Mycroft left the room and watched as Greg turn over to face John tears in his eyes as he closed the door behind him.

“Well?”

“I think they could work it out.”

“I hope so.”

“Anthea dear, where is Sherlock?”

“He went to harassing Donovan to let him speak to Blair for a few minutes.”

“I see. He always interested in that case. Now I’ll go and collect for Gregory a set of clothes and a few things that he’d need. Take a guard at Gregory’s door.”

“Already done, Sir.”

“Thank you Anthea.”

 


	4. Author's note

I don’t know how fix things between them YET. And I don't want to force the issue because it didn't lead to a good solution usually. So I leave it until I see the light.

It will be a happy end but I don't guarantee that I'll write _the_   _Talk._

 

At this point I really don't know how to write the next chapter, so if you have an idea feel free to write it in the comments.

 

I hope it won’t take long and there will be someone who will read when I’ll update it.


End file.
